Virtual Summit Submission

Florida State University
Dance

Biography

Feyikemi Poitier is a dancer, choreographer, and researcher exploring the intersections of Black dance traditions and contemporary performance. Through the IDEA Grant and the Dance in Paris program, Feyikemi immersed themselves in the Parisian dance community, studying styles such as vogue, jazz, and krump while conducting interviews with influential choreographers. Their current project transforms this research into an original choreographic work, accompanied by a video and soundscape created from collected footage and voiceovers. At Florida State University, Feyikemi continues to develop research-based choreography that amplifies diasporic narratives, blending academic inquiry with artistic expression.

Project

Tracing the Roots: An Exploration of Black Contemporary Dance
This project investigates the fusion of Black social and ancestral dance traditions within contemporary performance, focusing on vogue, jazz, and krump in Paris. Historically a cultural hub for the African diaspora, Paris offers artists a space to innovate while remaining rooted in heritage. Through immersive fieldwork—including attending performances, taking classes, and conducting interviews with choreographers and instructors—I explored how these distinct styles intersect to form modern Black contemporary dance. My research highlights how dancers draw on diasporic histories to create works that honor the past while engaging present-day multicultural realities. Originally conceived as a digital documentary series, this project has evolved into a performance-based research presentation. I am choreographing and performing an original work synthesizing my findings, accompanied by a video featuring footage and interviews from Paris. The self-composed music integrates voiceovers from these interviews, centering the artists’ perspectives. This multimodal approach bridges scholarship and performance, positioning choreography as a method for disseminating research. Ultimately, the project highlights the resilience, innovation, and cultural continuity embedded in Black dance practices, inviting audiences to engage with dance as both an academic and artistic form of storytelling.